Jobs and the Workforce
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today introduced an amendment to the Republican FY2015 budget proposal which would raise the minimum wage for nearly 28 million Americans, including more than 500,000 Wisconsinites, and lift millions of people out of poverty:
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today began a two week long campaign to highlight the harmful effects free trade agreements, like NAFTA, have had on our economy and environment. The goal for this campaign is to raise awareness about the serious health, safety, and economic risks associated with fast-tracking trade deals.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today issued the following statement on an analysis by Ways and Means Committee Democrats which shows more than 2 million Americans have been cut off of federal unemployment insurance benefits including almost 40,000 Wisconsinites:
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) took action today to force an up-or-down vote on legislation which would give 24.5 million Americans, including more than 500,000 Wisconsinites, a pay raise and lift approximately 900,000 people out of poverty. Pocan joined his colleagues in signing a discharge petition to bring up the Fair Minimum Wage Act (H.R. 1010). The bill increases the minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $10.10 per hour, indexes future annual increases to inflation thereafter, and gradually increases the tipped minimum wage to 70 percent of the minimum wage.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) issued the following statement regarding today’s new analysis from Ways and Means Committee Democrats that projects the Wisconsin economy will lose more than $51 million, and cost the U.S. economy $3 billion, in January and February alone due to the Dec. 28 expiration of federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation.
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) announced today that he will take Mount Horeb resident Brian Krueger as his guest to tomorrow’s State of the Union Address. Mr. Krueger, a steamfitter who was laid off from his job this past June, lost his unemployment insurance on December 28th because Congress failed to take action to extend this vital lifeline. Earlier this month, Pocan joined with Rep.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) issued the following statement regarding today’s new report from Ways and Means Committee Democrats showing that by the end of this week, more than 30,000 Wisconsinites will have been cut off from their emergency unemployment insurance due to Congressional inaction—the 14th largest number of such citizens in the nation. Since December 28th, more than 1.6 million Americans have lost their unemployment insurance.
By Ed O'Keefe
President Obama may get some help from members of the audience during his State of the Union address later this month when he calls on Congress to pass an extension of unemployment insurance and to raise the minimum wage.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Even with more than 1.3 million Americans experiencing the loss of their vital unemployment benefits, Congress appears no closer to resolving this damaging stalemate. In order to put a face on the grave impact inaction is having on millions of Americans, and to keep up the pressure for Congress to come to a solution, U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) today encouraged their colleagues to join with them and invite a constituent who has lost unemployment benefits to the State of the Union on January 28, 2014.
WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan (WI-02) today released a statement opposing new legislation that would reinstitute Trade Promotion Authority, better known as “fast track” negotiation authority. If passed, fast track would speed up the trade agreement approval process on major trade deals, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership currently being negotiated in secret by the United States and 11 other nations, by delegating wide swaths of Congress’s Constitutional power to oversee international trade to the executive branch.